Combination automatic creeping light switch



June 30, 1959 J. J. HARRIS 2,892,905

COMBINATION AUTOMATIC CREEPING LIGHT SWITCH Filed May 5, 195a INVENTOR JZSS/Z HAee/s United States Patent COMBINATION AUTOMATIC CREEPING LIGHT SWITCH.

Jessie J. .Harris, Fulton,.Miss.

Application May 5,1958, Serial'No. 733,004

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-34) This invention relates to an electric switch, and it particularly relates to anelectrioal switch which is adapted for both instantaneous and. delayed action.

It is often desirable to be able to actuate a light bulb or. other source of. lightfor a certain time and then have it shut. off automatically when its, use, is no longer'required. This type, of device is particularly advantageous for bedroom lights which give sufficient time for one to go tobed and then automatically go off. It is also advantageous in garages,v barns, outbuildings and the like. Such a switch can also be.used for other electrical devices such as for. automatic, de-activation of motors, generators, radios, television sets, etc.

There have been previous attempts to make such a switch; however, all such prior devices were subject to various disadvantages either in whole or in part. Generally, if such prior devices were capable of eflicient performance, they were much too complicated and bulky for ordinary use when their expense and bulk made them commercially infeasible. On the other hand, if they were relatively simple and cheap, they were highly inefficient and subject to easy disrepair.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art by providing a switch which can be used both for instantaneous and delayed action and which is both simple in construction and easy to install and use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a switch of the above type wherein the delaying action can be easily adjusted and regulated.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved switch, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a switch assembly embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a switch assembly, generally designated 10, which comprises a tank 12 for holding a fluid such as water, oil, or the like, and which has a filling opening formed by an internally-threaded nipple 14. The nipple 14 is adapted to be closed by an externally-threaded plug 16 having a cap portion 18 at its top. This cap portion 18 has a peripheral rim which sealingly overlies the top edge of nipple 14 when the plug 16 is threaded into place therein. The cap portion 18 is also provided with a slot 20 for receiving a screwdriver or the like. This "ice slot 20 is intersected by a bore 22 in the. plug 16. This bore 22 serves as an airvent when the filling opening is closed.

At its lower end, the tank 12. is provided with an opening defined by an internally-threaded nipple 24 having an inwardly extending peripheral flangev 26'at its top, this flange defining the opening. Threadedly engaged within the nipple 24 is an externallythreaded nipple 28 of a chamber 30. The upper end of nipple 28 is closed by a cap or washer 32 having a small opening 34 and a large opening 36. The opening 36 is normally closed by a pivoted valve 42 pivotally mountedon a pivot pin 44 held between ears 46-on the washer 32. A spring 48 on pivot pin 44 has an extension 50 which acts to bias valve 42 into closed'position against opening 36.

The chamber 30-is integral with a housing 52 within which are positioned a pair of valve heads 54 and 56 made of rubber or similar resilient material and having oppositely contoured cup-like configurations. These valve heads 54 and 56 are connected, in back-to-back arrangement, to the inner end'of a rod 58. The rod 58 extends through the rear end'of the housing 52 and is provided, outside the housing 52, with anoifset handle portion 60. Within the housing 52, the rod 58 is surrounded by a coil spring 62 which abuts the rear end of the housing atone end and the valve headi54 at the other end whereby the spring 62 serves to'urge the valve heads 54' and 56 toward the chamber 30.

At the exterior face of the rear end of the housing 52, there is provided a metal strip 64 connected to the housing by means of posts 66 and screws 68. To one of the posts 66 is connected a lead wire 70 adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy (not shown). Also connected to the rear face of the housing 52, as by a post 72 and screw 74, is a metal spring arm 76 having a pointed inner end. A lead wire 78 is connected to post 72 by means of screw 74 and is also connected into the electrical circuit common with that of lead line 70.

The spring arm 76 is normally biased into contact with strip 64 to close the circuit. In order to open the circuit, there is provided on rod 58 a disc 80 having a crimped notch 82 of a size and shape to encompass the pointed end of spring arm 76. When the disc 80 is turned counterclockwise whereby the notch 82 is out of alignment with the spring arm 76, the disc 80 presses down on spring arm '76 to move it out of contact with strip 64 to open the circuit. When the disc 80 is moved clockwise so that the notch 82 overlies the pointed end of spring arm 76 whereby a pocket is formed within which the spring arm 76 can move outwardly into its normally biased position, contact is established between the arm 76 and strip 64 to close the circuit.

In order to provide a delayed opening of the circuit and deactivation of the power, the rod 58 is operated to first rotate the disc 80 counterclockwise to move the notch 82 out of alignment and is then pulled out (as in dicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1). This pulls back the valve heads 54 and 56 so that the fluid in chamber 30 flows into housing 52. This decreases the pressure in chamber 30 so that the valve 42 opens and permits more fluid to flow into chamber 30 from tank 12 until pressure equilibrium is reestablished. The spring 62 then acts to gradually push back the valve heads 54 and 56 which, in turn, exert a pressure on the fluid in chamber 30 whereby a gradual bleeding of the fluid through opening 34 back into tank 12 takes place. Eventually, a suflicient amount of fluid has returned to tank 12 so that the disc 80 contacts spring 76 and pushes it back away from strip 64 to open the circuit. The amount of time it takes for the disc 80 to move back into its normal position to open the circuit depends on how far back the rod 58 was originally pulled, on the size of opening 34, and on the size of the apparatus and the amount and viscosity of the fluid used.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. An electrical switch assembly comprising a valve housing in fluid communication with a fluid chamber, a piston valve in said housing movable toward and away from said fluid chamber, biasing means resiliently urg' ing said piston valve toward said chamber, actuating means for moving said piston valve away from said chamber against said biasing means, electrical contacts on said housing biased into abutting relationship with each other, cut-01f means on said actuating means for disen gaging said contacts from each other, said cut-off means being movable with said actuating means away from said contacts simultaneously with movement of said piston valve away from said chamber, and equalizing means between said chamber and a source of pressure fluid for maintaining a balanced fluid pressure behind said piston valve throughout its movement in opposite directions, said cut-off means being movable into a position permitting engagement of said contacts even when said piston is adjacent said chamber, said actuating means comprising a rod rotatably journaled in and through said housing, said piston valve being mounted on the end of said rod outside of said housing for pulling and for rotating said rod, said cut-off means comprising a. notched disc fixed on said rod and movable therewith to disengage said contacts with each other, said contacts being in the path of movement of said notched disc, said notched disc being rotatable by said rod and bandle to cause the notch in said disc to overlie said contacts and prevent said disc from disengaging said contacts from each other even when said piston valve is adjacent said chamber.

2. The electrical switch assembly of claim 1, said biasing means for said piston valve comprising a tapered coil spring about said rod within said housing between said housing and said piston valve.

3. The electrical switch assembly of claim 2, said piston valve comprising a pair of cup-shaped valve head members of resilient construction arranged in back-toback relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 807,574 McIntire Dec. 19, 1905 1,942,268 Zeno Jan. 2, 1934 2,318, 81 Bird May 4, 1943 2,436,470 Fleming Feb. 24, 1948 2,442,971 Chessrown June 8, 1948 2,526,670 Kissinger et a1. Oct. 24, 1950 2,637,788 Bracken May 5, 1953 2,758,181 Crouch Aug. 7, 1956 2,800,538 Kuhn July 23, 1957 

